Check out the results for SOL boys’ basketball teams in action Tuesday. To view photos of the CB West/Pennridge and CB South/Hatboro-Horsham games, please visit the Photo Gallery.
American Conference
Cheltenham 49, Upper Dublin 45
A chance at winning the conference this season is unlikely for Cheltenham, but after nine league games, the Panthers know they can play with anyone.
After Tuesday’s win over visiting Upper Dublin, Cheltenham has now beaten the top two teams in the conference, and the Panthers are responsible for two of the three combined losses for the Cardinals and first-place Plymouth Whitemarsh. This one knocked the Cardinals out of a first place tie with the Colonials.
In Tuesday’s win, the third quarter was the difference, as Cheltenham erased a 24-22 halftime deficit to go up by nine entering the final quarter, 37-28.
"We put emphasis back on defense in the third quarter," Cheltenham coach John Timms said. "I challenged the guys to man up, and I basically told everyone to be accountable for their man. "They stepped up and took it personally and did a great job defensively in the third quarter."
Responsible for covering Upper Dublin star Simeon Fryer, Anthony White stepped up big time on the defensive end for Cheltenham, holding the senior big man to just three points in the game's opening three quarters.
"Anthony did a very good job on defense and really stepped up for us," Timms said. "He was great."
White, a junior guard, finished with 15 points while knocking down three triples. Senior point guard Fatiir Al-Ahad finished with 14 points – eight in the second quarter – to go along with eight assists and eight steals.
"Fatiir has been on a tear," Timms said. "Over the last 9-10 games, I don't think there is a better guard in the Suburban One. He's the catalyst to all our victories and when he plays well, we generally win."
Vaughn Jenkins and Justin Sutton each scored eight points for Cheltenham (9-7, 6-3), which went 6-for-6 from the free throw line in the fourth.
Fryer and John Barrett each scored 13 points for Upper Dublin (10-6, 7-2).
"It feels good to know that you're capable of beating the top two teams in your conference," Timms said. "And to be able to protect your home court is good. That goes towards the growth of this team being able to protect their home floor, so this was a big win tonight."
Upper Dublin 6 18 4 17—45
Cheltenham 10 12 15 12—49
Wissahickon 51, Upper Moreland 50
Despite holding an early lead, Upper Moreland found itself clawing back just to force overtime. In the end, a winning bucket from Ron Brundage on the heels of a Blake Rapoport steal lifted the Trojans to a win by the slimmest of margins over visiting Upper Moreland in overtime.
Wissahickon (9-6, 7-2) held a commanding 22-11 lead after one quarter, but the Bears (6-11, 2-7) fought back to make it a three-point game at the intermission (30-27). The Golden Bears outscored the Trojans 13-8 in the third quarter and took a 40-38 lead into the fourth.
"We felt very fortunate to get a win after falling behind late in the fourth quarter," Wissahickon coach Kyle Wilson said. "The kids showed amazing heart fighting through a game that saw several questionable calls go both ways down the stretch."
Todd Bentley, who finished with 11 points for Wissahickon, hit a huge three-pointer after the Bears went on top by five. After forcing overtime, the Trojans went on top in the final seconds on Brundage’s basket. With 10 seconds remaining, Wissahickon successfully defended the Bears, whose desperation heave at the buzzer came up short.
Brundage led the Trojans with 13 points, while Brandon Pace and Stephen Driscoll finished with 10 and nine, respectively.
Brendan O'Donnell led the Bears with 15, while James Martin added 13.
Upper Moreland 11 16 13 7 3—50
Wissahickon 22 8 8 9 4—51
Upper Moreland (50) – Brendan O’Donnell 15, Ryan Coyle 6, Casey Decker 3, Joe Trovato 9, Shane Stone 4.
Plymouth Whitemarsh 87, Upper Merion 41
Xzavier Malone finished with 21 points, five rebounds and four assists en route to a convincing victory for Plymouth Whitemarsh over visiting Upper Merion.
Andre Mitchell added 12 points, six rebounds, four assists, one steal and one blocked shot for the Colonials, while Jimmy Murray tallied 11 points, four assists and three steals. Mike Lolito added six points and seven rebounds for the Colonials, who led 25-8 after one quarter and took 45-16 lead into halftime. Grady Minick scored eight points.
PW (15-1, 8-1) won all four quarters, while also getting its bench players some playing time in the second half. In all, 13 different players scored points for the Colonials.
The Vikings (2-14, 1-8) were led by Andrew Persaud’s 21 points.
Upper Merion 8 8 13 12—41
Plymouth Whitemarsh 25 20 18 24—87
Upper Merion (41) – Aiden Newell 2, Matt Faw 4, Ethan Miller 21, Andrew Persaud 21, Chris Carita, Timmy Biegalski 3.
Plymouth Whitemarsh (87) – Grady Minick 8, Oakley Spencer 6, Xzavier Malone 21, Kevin AShenfelter 5, Jimmy Murray 11, Matt Walker 3, Devon Monteiro-Gray 4, Cameron Johnson 4, Davon Burrell 5, Andre Mitchell 12, Mike Lotito 6, Jesse Hoffman 2.
Norristown 58, Springfield 36
The Eagles allowed just 10 points in the first half – two in the second quarter – on their way to a 24-10 halftime lead. Norristown outscored host Springfield 34-26 in the second half to earn the big win.
Khalif Sinclair finished with 14 points, four assists and four steals to lead the Eagles (6-8, 5-4), while Roy Green added 11 points, nine rebounds and five steals.
Darryl Carr and Desmond Gorski each scored nine points for Norristown, while Tyler Armstrong added eight.
Sean Stovall led the Spartans (2-14, 0-9) with seven points.
Norristown 13 11 19 15—58
Springfield 8 2 14 12—36
Continental Conference
Quakertown 55, Souderton 49
What a difference a month makes.
Back on Dec. 16, Quakertown went into Souderton High School and left with a 24-point loss (56-32).
"We were losing 20-2 at one point in the first half and it was embarrassing," Quakertown coach Kevin Keeler said.
Just five weeks later, the Panthers turned the tables on the Indians.
Griffin Schmidt’s16 points helped lead the Panthers to a win over the Indians that would have seemed impossible just a few weeks earlier.
The win, according to Keeler, was Quakertown’s first over Souderton in at least a decade, and it was the team’s third straight victory – the first time that has happened in the Quakertown coach’s memory.
"We're playing with confidence," he said. "We're starting to play better again and I keep telling people that they don't see it in the box score – we're winning because of more than just scoring."
Hunter Nice and Kyle Baskin, two of Quakertown's football players, have come around in a big way.
"Our football guys bring an inside physical presence, and they make picks and get rebounds," Keeler said. "They were sort of beat up and missed the first part of the year, but we got them back after Christmas and this is the team we had in the summer and we're starting to gel."
On Tuesday, the Panthers took a 31-25 lead into the half and led by seven entering the fourth (41-34). The Indians trimmed their deficit to only one with three minutes to play, but Schmidt took a big charge on a play which would have put Souderton on top. Quakertown went on to ice the game at the free throw line.
"We shot the ball well in the first half and this is a nice win for the kids. We haven't beaten them in a long time," Keeler said. "Hopefully we can carry this on for a couple more."
Jake Perrine and Kevin Norvaisas each added 11 points for Quakertown (8-8, 3-6), while Brian Rejniak, who hit two big free throws late in the game, added 10.
Souderton (10-7, 6-3) was led by Evan Slone's 19. Tracy Simsick, Tim Markow and Ben Wonderling each scored eight.
Souderton 15 10 9 15—49
Quakertown 18 13 10 14—55
Souderton (49) – Evan Slone 19, Ty Salone 2, Ben Wonderling 8, Tracy Simsick 8, Tim Markow 8, Austin Eberhart 4.
Quakertown (55) – Griffin Schmidt 16, Jake Perrine 11, Brian Rejniak 10, Kevin Norvaisas 11, Kyle Basking 5, Hunter Nice 2.
Central Bucks West 59, Pennridge 54
Going into Tuesday night’s game, not many would have picked Central Bucks West to come out on top. That’s not a knock on the Bucks, but it’s tough to pick against a Pennridge squad that had lost just once in 15 games and was undefeated in conference play.
But CB West knew it shouldn't have been counted out, and the Bucks came to play.
Trailing 26-18 at the half, CB West came out on fire in the third quarter, outscoring the Rams 15-6 to go on top 33-32. They went on too outscore the Rams 26-22 in a high-scoring fourth quarter to earn the huge win.
The loss was the first in nine conference games for the Rams (14-2, 8-1), who were without Joe Molettiere.
"We were down at eight the half and the kids rallied," CB West coach Adam Sherman said. "The kids made adjustments at halftime and they played better in the third quarter."
Nico Munari played a big role in the Bucks' comeback. He finished with 18 points and 10 rebounds to lead CB West in both departments.
"Nico has played great the last three games for us," Sherman said. "He's playing better and better. For us to move forward, it's important for him to play well. He gives us a threat inside that we really need."
Owen Cooney also came up big when CB West (13-4, 6-3) needed him most, knocking down two huge three-pointers in the game's final two minutes to give his team the cushion it needed.
Cooney scored 10 points for CB West, while Cal Reichwein and Luke Irons finished with 11 and nine, respectively.
"We know we can play with anybody," Sherman said. "At least we feel like we can play with anyone. Pennridge is a very good team and they score a lot of points quickly, so it's nice and hopefully we can carry it over to the next game."
Dan Long led Pennridge with 28 points, which included a perfect 9-for-9 effort at the foul line, while Zach Muredda added 17.
Pennridge 14 12 6 22—54
Central Bucks West 11 7 15 26—59
Pennridge (54) – Dan Long 28, Zach Muredda 17, Stephen Lowry 3, Joe Unangst 4, James White 2.
Central Bucks West (59) – Luke Irons 9, Owen Cooney 10, Cal Reichwein 11, Nico Munari 16, Erich Hohenleitner 2, Connor Lynch 8, Jimmy McCusker 1, Seamus Fox 2.
Central Bucks South 45, Hatboro-Horsham 40
Sparked by the 15-point effort of Tim Waddington, Central Bucks South was able to get past visiting Hatboro-Horsham.
Chris Hones added 10 for CB South (10-6, 6-3), while Josh Brodie contributed eight.
The Titans led by five 19-14 at the half and then played the Hatters even second half.
Walt Kimble and Brian McEachern led the Hatters (6-9, 2-7) with 15 and 10, respectively.
Hatboro-Horsham 6 8 11 15—40
Central Bucks South 8 11 12 14—45
Hatboro-Horsham (40) – Zeke Sloan 2, Walter Kimble 15, Brian McEachern 10, David Robinson 6, Clifton Moore 7.
Central Bucks South (45) – Josh Brodie 8, Tommy Doyle 3, David Drea 6, Tim Waddington 14, Chris Hones 10, Sean Gallagher 4.
North Penn 50, Central Bucks East 28
Ricky Johns scored 14 points and paced North Penn to the big win over host Central Bucks East.
The Patriots led 11-8 after one quarter, but the Knights took over in the second, outscoring the Patriots 15-4 to go into halftime with a 23-15 lead. The Knights controlled things for the remainder of the game, outscoring their hosts 27-13 in the second half.
Cordell Lord added eight points for North Penn (10-7, 5-4), while Tommy Strasburger's seven points led CB East (5-12, 0-9).
North Penn 8 15 8 19—50
Central Bucks East 11 4 4 9—28
National Conference
Harry S. Truman 53, William Tennent 51 (OT)
With five conference games still remaining on the schedule, Harry S. Truman has already surpassed its win total in league play from last season.
On the heels of last year’s three-win season in conference play, the Tigers captured their fourth league victory of the season after getting past visiting William Tennent in overtime.
Tyquan Law scored four points in the extra period and sealed the win for Truman with a steal with two seconds remaining.
"I thought Tyquan was really good in the clutch," Truman coach Alan Munford said. "James Clowney was really good on the offensive boards and Danell Snelling was as well.
“They gave us second shot opportunities and we took advantage. I thought Jair Brown played a great game at point guard and that helped us tremendously."
Brown dished out five assists, while Snelling pulled down eight rebounds. Law and Clowney led the way with 15 and 13 points, respectively. Snelling added 11 while Lucas Waters finished with eight.
It was a close game throughout, with both teams going up by one or two possessions here and there. A monster third quarter from Tennent (4-12, 3-6) allowed the Panthers to erase a 15-10 halftime deficit. The Panthers outscored the Tigers 28-9 in the third quarter to go on top 28-24. Truman regained the lead in the fourth, but Tennent’s Kevin Simonson went coast-to-coast for a layup with 8.2 seconds remaining in regulation to force overtime.
In the extra period, Truman (6-10, 4-5) went up by six and held on until the final seconds.
"Any league win is a good win, and obviously, this one was big for us," Munford said. "We certainly needed it, but Tennent played extremely hard. I thought our kids played extremely hard as well and down the stretch, they were able to pull it out."
John Ryan led the Panthers with 17 points, while Kyle Lewicki added 13. Simonson and Josh Kravets each scored nine.
With the win, Truman now sits at 4-5 in conference play (6-10 overall), a record that Munford credits to his team's maturity.
"It's another year with kids growing and learning how to play with each other," he said. "It's another year of doing it. You get better at it. Our kids worked hard over the summer and this team has had to face some adversity. My starting five has changed since the beginning of the year, and I think these guys are answering the bell by winning these close games. It's a tribute to how hard they work in practice."
William Tennent 6 4 18 16 7—51
Harry S. Truman 6 9 9 20 9–53
Bensalem 51, Council Rock South 41
A big defensive effort in the second half helped Bensalem to a home victory over Council Rock South.
The Owls (7-9, 4-5), who trailed 26-24 at halftime, allowed just 15 second half points while scoring 27 of their own to come out with the double-digit victory.
Keith Howard's 12 points and Brandon Vaughn's 11 led Bensalem. Neel Patel and Nick Mulvey added nine.
Austin Thomas led the Hawks (5-11, 3-6) with 16.
Council Rock South 13 13 10 5—41
Bensalem 13 11 16 11–51
Pennsbury 50, Council Rock North 40
Pennsbury received 15 points from Mekhi Bryant and 14 from Derrick Woods in a win over host Council Rock North. Nick Cereby added eight.
The Falcons (12-4, 7-2) led by just two at the half (19-17) and added to their lead with in the second half, outscoring the Indians 31-23. Bryant sparked a 15-12 third quarter for the Falcons with 13 points, which included a pair of three’s. Woods had eight points to lead the Falcons in the fourth while Cereby had six as the Falcons closed it out with a 16-11 frame.
Matt Margolis led CR North (9-7, 5-4) with 15 points, while Drew Glenn and Riley Thompson each added eight.
Pennsbury 6 13 15 16—50
Council Rock North 3 14 12 11—40
Pennsbury (50) – Mekhi Bryant 15, Juan Perez Jones 2, Derrick Woods 14, Nick Cereby 8, Cam Jones 6, Rob Daly 5.
Council Rock North (40) – Tyler Nowmos 8, Riley Thompson 8, Drew Glenn 8, Matt Margolis 15, Steve Nowmos 2, Will Sesautelle 2, Matt Baniewicz 4.
Abington 63, Neshaminy 36
Abington improved to 13-3 overall and 9-0 in conference play following a dominating victory over visiting Neshaminy.
The Ghosts were led by Amir Hinton’s 20 points. Matt Penecale added 11, while Jake Porter added 10.
Abington went on top 16-7 after one quarter and took a 32-21 lead into halftime. The Ghosts outscored the Redskins 31-15 in the second half.
The Redskins (4-10, 1-8) were led by Chris Arcidiacono’s 12 points and Jenkins Kimber’s 10.
Neshaminy 7 14 8 7—36
Abington 16 16 10 21—63
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